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Agenda Item
J.-1 26-1500 Presentation to the Board of Education, by the Interim Superintendent of Schools, pursuant to California Department of Education (CDE) Corrective Action No. 4, an information item discussing the findings in the March 10, 2026 CDE's Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) Case Matters Decision Letter (Case Matters 2025-0154, 2025-0108 and 2025-0284) and of the corrective actions the District is taking to prevent and remedy antisemitism District-wide.
OUSD has consistently failed to protect its Jewish students and has rightly been sued for its gross negligence and discriminatory behavior. OUSD must substantively address the rampant Jew Hatred among its teachers, staff and community. The Board must immediately withdraw its offensive demurrer against the state, halt the litigation against the Oakland Jewish Alliance, and publicly attach the unredacted January 23rd CDE Decision Letter to the public agenda, as required by the Brown Act.
As a full-time educator myself, I have seen the euphemistic excuse of "social justice" used to demonize, denigrate and ostracize Jews, especially those who are connected in some way to Israel. OUSD refuses to remove political propaganda from schools, and tacitly allows teachers to break the law by politicizing their classrooms. Classrooms are not sites of indoctrination-that is abuse. OUSD has made it clear that it doesn't care at all about the safety or wellbeing of Jewish and Israeli students.
Public schools simply *cannot* be places for people who consider it their job to "change the world" rather than imparting knowledge and thinking skills to their students. True educators do not use the classroom to spread vicious slander about the Jewish state, or to support groups and ideas that lead directly to anti-Jewish violence. Only ignorant self-righteous activists do this, and such folx have no business having contact with children. Hiding behind claims about "free speech" or "academic freedom" or hand-wringing about "silencing teachers" is the very model of gaslighting. For shame. The fact that some Jews support these ideas makes them NO LESS repugnant. Shame on the OUSD leadership for being so deeply ignorant to fail to recognize a hate movement for what it is. Getting sued is a SIGNAL to OUSD that it's time to take a hard look at what you're doing and clean up your act.
OUSD website states that “every student deserves a safe, joyful environment that equips them to be lifelong learners and leaders”. There must be genuine accountability and commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination, including for Jewish and Israeli students and staff. What specific steps are being taken to ensure this and to repair with those who have been harmed or don’t feel safe in the district?
OUSD needs to ensure its classrooms safe for everyone, including its Jewish students. Classrooms should be a place where critical thinking is taught and valued. Most importantly, personal political views by teachers should not be allowed. I have been saddened to hear about many reports of anti semitism in OUSD classrooms and have been disappointed by the Board’s empty and largely symbolic responses. This Board can and should do better.
We are part of the OUSD statistics - pulling two of our three Jewish children from the district. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I know how "just" a poster or slogan can evolve into the marginalization of Jews.
In Oct 2023, when our oldest was in 6th grade, OEA leadership first put forth their proclamations. Although we had the opportunity to leave, we spoke with teachers/administrators & felt confident our child would be protected. By 7th, it became clear that zero tolerance for antisemitism was not reality.
We repeatedly reached dead ends with teachers, administrators, & district staff. A UCP we filed in Oct 2024 took 14+ months to resolve. While the ruling confirmed antisemitism occurred, it contained significant errors & left us with little confidence meaningful corrective action would follow.
We loved our school & our child thrived there. But the anxiety of sending a Jewish child to school each day became too much. We tried to stay & fight, but enough is enough.
Public school is the primary site where we have a chance to meet one another in this country. Public schools represent the promise of America. Keep the faith: Have the humility to acknowledge harm and the courage to redress those harms, so we can move together as one. Jews are not lesser siblings. We all belong.
The lack of leadership, action or response to the antisemitic teach ins, OEA statements, constant “political posters” in classrooms with violent subtext, flags being flown on school property and graffiti on schools is disgraceful. The blatant disregard for concerns voiced by the Jews in the district is not only embarrassing but also a grave threat to the Jews. At a time when antisemitism is sky rocketing and Jews are under attack it is a deep shame on OUSD that they have buried their head in the sand. A terrifying similarity to Germany in the early 1930s.
The California Department of Education (CDE) found a pattern of anti-Jewish, discriminatory behavior in the OUSD, including by staff. The district's butt-covering, lawyered response with AI-voiceover is insufficient, hollow, and insincere. OUSD needs to take a much stronger stance against hate. It is unconscionable that our tax dollars have been used to spread the world's oldest hatred and to drive Jewish families out of the schools. OUSD must fire staff who use the schools for activism and adopt required trainings and policies that explicitly call out anti-zionism as a form of hate.
Martin Luther King said it best: "When people condemn Zionists - they mean Jews".
There should be zero tolerance for bullying Jews. OUSD, you can do better!
Both my husband and I attended Oakland schools. We have 9 grandchildren in Oakland - none of their parents consider the
Oakland schools a safe site for Jewish children. We have been waiting for directives to the schools to strip the walls and halls of the extreme political propaganda- including elimination slogans like”From The River to the Sea” etc.
I am asking you to set a real deadline for the removal of political rhetoric both written and visual before school begins in August. Perhaps you haven’t done a walk through of all your schools but after you do- request from staff photos showing proof of the removal. If your motto is belonging then why, after being told repeatedly by staff and parents and lawsuits that these images create a hostile environment of discrimination ( both a CDE finding and an admission by the district) is there inaction ?
Why aren’t copies of the CDE lawsuit and findings attached to the agenda?
Besides unauthorized curricula, walls and halls are harming.
As an OUSD parent, there should be no debate about whether Jewish students deserve safety and respect in school. Antisemitism is a form of hate, and like all forms of hate, it must be recognized, addressed, and rejected. Schools should be places where Jewish children can learn, participate, and express their identity without fear of harassment, exclusion, or intimidation.
Please ensure that OUSD classrooms remain places where students are taught how to think, not what to think. All students, including Jewish students, deserve to feel safe, respected, and free from political indoctrination, while teachers present complex issues in a balanced and age-appropriate way. Protect all students, including Jewish students. Teach critical thinking, enforce district policies on controversial issues, and keep political advocacy out of the classroom so schools remain focused on education rather than ideology
As a former OUSD parent - I ask; Is this the best use of our time and Resources with students, political indoctrination?
Every day you refuse to order the removal of political propaganda from schools, and refuse to insist Teachers follow the Law, re: politicizing the classroom, you send a clear message to Jewish and Israeli students: You are not safe here, and we will not protect you. Swastikas on student property are the direct result of a culture where antisemitic bias is tolerated and excused. The environment of Hate and intolerance increases, Is this really what we want for our children?
We demand the Board immediately withdraw its offensive demurrer against the state, halt the litigation against the Oakland Jewish Alliance, and publicly attach the raw, unredacted January 23rd CDE Decision Letter to the public agenda, as required by the spirit of the Brown Act.
I am OUSD staff + have seen instances of antisemitism on campuses that continue to this day. I ask that OUSD provide REAL training on antisemitism to staff, instead of the barely 20 minute video recently assigned. Folks @ multiple sites are planning to boycott it, + therefore it won’t provide the education our district needs to be a safe environment for Jewish + Israeli students. Please mandate ALL staff attend in-person trainings provided by a Jewish organization, + take this issue seriously the way we take the safety of our LGBTQ students seriously, + the way we take our anti-racist work seriously. Despite your slideshow, antisemitism continues unabated in OUSD. I have not seen a memo from leadership enforcing the end of biased messaging by teachers, demanding the removal of one-sided propaganda posters, + clearly stating what content is vetted for social studies, history, + ethnic studies classes. Your silence sends the message that antisemitism IS an acceptable form of hate.
I am a retired teacher who taught high school at OUSD for seven years. During the last five years of my teaching, I was witness to the shocking level of indoctrination to which our students were exposed. Instead of world history, for example, they were taught a one-sided view of current events that presented the state of Israel as an occupying force. Many left-wing rebel groups from around the world were idolized, such as the FSLN, EZLN, etc. These “teachings” came along with poster expositions, banners, and even replicas of the uniforms of the glorified ‘freedom fighters.”
There MUST be no tolerance within OUSD for this type of ideological indoctrination. Instead, teachers should train students to think independently and come to their own conclusions. The teacher’s beliefs have to be kept well guarded.
The saddest part of this story is that the students taught in this manner performed very poorly on standardized tests. OUSD has sacrificed their futures. I ask you: for what?
I emailed the Board President about her remarks on her computer. She never responded to me. I am a teacher coach in OUSD, 16 years.
Out of respet I think she shoud have responded. I also think that as leader of the education community, that signals a political stance..which I believe, ethically is inappropriate .Yes, her beliefs are hers, but not to represent her position to display in that manner.
The district can do better than a CYA, lawyer-speak, anodyne AI voiced presentation.
Yes, do the check the box legal activities.
But why not commit to go further than that? Embrace the CDE findings. Proudly commit to respecting and supporting the local Oakland Jewish and Israeli community with the same fervor and authenticity that was present with the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements.
It starts at the top. I’d love to see each Board Member make positive comments at the Board Meeting today centering the Oakland Jewish population.
Many of us are increasingly scared to have our children in OUSD schools and angry at the lack of action and empathy.
Come from a place of caring. What would you say to this population? I would love each of you to just take 30 seconds and say something heartfelt. Let’s repair the bridges and start working together again.
If we get more of the silence and lawyer-speak, we’ll know you don’t really care.
For more than two years, we have filed complaint after complaint regarding antisemitic discrimination and a hostile environment targeting Jewish and Israeli students, staff, and families. The District repeatedly delayed or refused investigations and repeatedly mischaracterized and spun investigation findings in an effort to exonerate itself rather than confront the underlying problems, resulting in two lawsuits and multiple findings against the District already. Dozens of Jewish families have left the District because they no longer feel safe. Tonight's AI-generated video is a poor substitute for accountability. While the District touts compliance efforts, it has failed to take meaningful action to address antisemitism on campus. The public deserves the unfiltered CDE findings, not a sanitized narrative. Instead of public relations, the District should focus on remediating the hostile environment identified by CDE and restoring trust with the families it has failed.
OUSD has consistently failed to protect its Jewish students and has rightly been sued for its gross negligence and discriminatory behavior. OUSD must substantively address the rampant Jew Hatred among its teachers, staff and community. The Board must immediately withdraw its offensive demurrer against the state, halt the litigation against the Oakland Jewish Alliance, and publicly attach the unredacted January 23rd CDE Decision Letter to the public agenda, as required by the Brown Act.
As a full-time educator myself, I have seen the euphemistic excuse of "social justice" used to demonize, denigrate and ostracize Jews, especially those who are connected in some way to Israel. OUSD refuses to remove political propaganda from schools, and tacitly allows teachers to break the law by politicizing their classrooms. Classrooms are not sites of indoctrination-that is abuse. OUSD has made it clear that it doesn't care at all about the safety or wellbeing of Jewish and Israeli students.
Public schools simply *cannot* be places for people who consider it their job to "change the world" rather than imparting knowledge and thinking skills to their students. True educators do not use the classroom to spread vicious slander about the Jewish state, or to support groups and ideas that lead directly to anti-Jewish violence. Only ignorant self-righteous activists do this, and such folx have no business having contact with children. Hiding behind claims about "free speech" or "academic freedom" or hand-wringing about "silencing teachers" is the very model of gaslighting. For shame. The fact that some Jews support these ideas makes them NO LESS repugnant. Shame on the OUSD leadership for being so deeply ignorant to fail to recognize a hate movement for what it is. Getting sued is a SIGNAL to OUSD that it's time to take a hard look at what you're doing and clean up your act.
OUSD website states that “every student deserves a safe, joyful environment that equips them to be lifelong learners and leaders”. There must be genuine accountability and commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination, including for Jewish and Israeli students and staff. What specific steps are being taken to ensure this and to repair with those who have been harmed or don’t feel safe in the district?
OUSD needs to ensure its classrooms safe for everyone, including its Jewish students. Classrooms should be a place where critical thinking is taught and valued. Most importantly, personal political views by teachers should not be allowed. I have been saddened to hear about many reports of anti semitism in OUSD classrooms and have been disappointed by the Board’s empty and largely symbolic responses. This Board can and should do better.
We are part of the OUSD statistics - pulling two of our three Jewish children from the district. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I know how "just" a poster or slogan can evolve into the marginalization of Jews.
In Oct 2023, when our oldest was in 6th grade, OEA leadership first put forth their proclamations. Although we had the opportunity to leave, we spoke with teachers/administrators & felt confident our child would be protected. By 7th, it became clear that zero tolerance for antisemitism was not reality.
We repeatedly reached dead ends with teachers, administrators, & district staff. A UCP we filed in Oct 2024 took 14+ months to resolve. While the ruling confirmed antisemitism occurred, it contained significant errors & left us with little confidence meaningful corrective action would follow.
We loved our school & our child thrived there. But the anxiety of sending a Jewish child to school each day became too much. We tried to stay & fight, but enough is enough.
Public school is the primary site where we have a chance to meet one another in this country. Public schools represent the promise of America. Keep the faith: Have the humility to acknowledge harm and the courage to redress those harms, so we can move together as one. Jews are not lesser siblings. We all belong.
The lack of leadership, action or response to the antisemitic teach ins, OEA statements, constant “political posters” in classrooms with violent subtext, flags being flown on school property and graffiti on schools is disgraceful. The blatant disregard for concerns voiced by the Jews in the district is not only embarrassing but also a grave threat to the Jews. At a time when antisemitism is sky rocketing and Jews are under attack it is a deep shame on OUSD that they have buried their head in the sand. A terrifying similarity to Germany in the early 1930s.
The California Department of Education (CDE) found a pattern of anti-Jewish, discriminatory behavior in the OUSD, including by staff. The district's butt-covering, lawyered response with AI-voiceover is insufficient, hollow, and insincere. OUSD needs to take a much stronger stance against hate. It is unconscionable that our tax dollars have been used to spread the world's oldest hatred and to drive Jewish families out of the schools. OUSD must fire staff who use the schools for activism and adopt required trainings and policies that explicitly call out anti-zionism as a form of hate.
Martin Luther King said it best: "When people condemn Zionists - they mean Jews".
There should be zero tolerance for bullying Jews. OUSD, you can do better!
Both my husband and I attended Oakland schools. We have 9 grandchildren in Oakland - none of their parents consider the
Oakland schools a safe site for Jewish children. We have been waiting for directives to the schools to strip the walls and halls of the extreme political propaganda- including elimination slogans like”From The River to the Sea” etc.
I am asking you to set a real deadline for the removal of political rhetoric both written and visual before school begins in August. Perhaps you haven’t done a walk through of all your schools but after you do- request from staff photos showing proof of the removal. If your motto is belonging then why, after being told repeatedly by staff and parents and lawsuits that these images create a hostile environment of discrimination ( both a CDE finding and an admission by the district) is there inaction ?
Why aren’t copies of the CDE lawsuit and findings attached to the agenda?
Besides unauthorized curricula, walls and halls are harming.
As an OUSD parent, there should be no debate about whether Jewish students deserve safety and respect in school. Antisemitism is a form of hate, and like all forms of hate, it must be recognized, addressed, and rejected. Schools should be places where Jewish children can learn, participate, and express their identity without fear of harassment, exclusion, or intimidation.
I want all children to feel safe at school. It seems like the last few years curriculum has been really skewed towards prop Palestinian agenda.
Please ensure that OUSD classrooms remain places where students are taught how to think, not what to think. All students, including Jewish students, deserve to feel safe, respected, and free from political indoctrination, while teachers present complex issues in a balanced and age-appropriate way. Protect all students, including Jewish students. Teach critical thinking, enforce district policies on controversial issues, and keep political advocacy out of the classroom so schools remain focused on education rather than ideology
As a former OUSD parent - I ask; Is this the best use of our time and Resources with students, political indoctrination?
Every day you refuse to order the removal of political propaganda from schools, and refuse to insist Teachers follow the Law, re: politicizing the classroom, you send a clear message to Jewish and Israeli students: You are not safe here, and we will not protect you. Swastikas on student property are the direct result of a culture where antisemitic bias is tolerated and excused. The environment of Hate and intolerance increases, Is this really what we want for our children?
We demand the Board immediately withdraw its offensive demurrer against the state, halt the litigation against the Oakland Jewish Alliance, and publicly attach the raw, unredacted January 23rd CDE Decision Letter to the public agenda, as required by the spirit of the Brown Act.
I am OUSD staff + have seen instances of antisemitism on campuses that continue to this day. I ask that OUSD provide REAL training on antisemitism to staff, instead of the barely 20 minute video recently assigned. Folks @ multiple sites are planning to boycott it, + therefore it won’t provide the education our district needs to be a safe environment for Jewish + Israeli students. Please mandate ALL staff attend in-person trainings provided by a Jewish organization, + take this issue seriously the way we take the safety of our LGBTQ students seriously, + the way we take our anti-racist work seriously. Despite your slideshow, antisemitism continues unabated in OUSD. I have not seen a memo from leadership enforcing the end of biased messaging by teachers, demanding the removal of one-sided propaganda posters, + clearly stating what content is vetted for social studies, history, + ethnic studies classes. Your silence sends the message that antisemitism IS an acceptable form of hate.
Support lawsuit
I am a retired teacher who taught high school at OUSD for seven years. During the last five years of my teaching, I was witness to the shocking level of indoctrination to which our students were exposed. Instead of world history, for example, they were taught a one-sided view of current events that presented the state of Israel as an occupying force. Many left-wing rebel groups from around the world were idolized, such as the FSLN, EZLN, etc. These “teachings” came along with poster expositions, banners, and even replicas of the uniforms of the glorified ‘freedom fighters.”
There MUST be no tolerance within OUSD for this type of ideological indoctrination. Instead, teachers should train students to think independently and come to their own conclusions. The teacher’s beliefs have to be kept well guarded.
The saddest part of this story is that the students taught in this manner performed very poorly on standardized tests. OUSD has sacrificed their futures. I ask you: for what?
I emailed the Board President about her remarks on her computer. She never responded to me. I am a teacher coach in OUSD, 16 years.
Out of respet I think she shoud have responded. I also think that as leader of the education community, that signals a political stance..which I believe, ethically is inappropriate .Yes, her beliefs are hers, but not to represent her position to display in that manner.
The district can do better than a CYA, lawyer-speak, anodyne AI voiced presentation.
Yes, do the check the box legal activities.
But why not commit to go further than that? Embrace the CDE findings. Proudly commit to respecting and supporting the local Oakland Jewish and Israeli community with the same fervor and authenticity that was present with the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements.
It starts at the top. I’d love to see each Board Member make positive comments at the Board Meeting today centering the Oakland Jewish population.
Many of us are increasingly scared to have our children in OUSD schools and angry at the lack of action and empathy.
Come from a place of caring. What would you say to this population? I would love each of you to just take 30 seconds and say something heartfelt. Let’s repair the bridges and start working together again.
If we get more of the silence and lawyer-speak, we’ll know you don’t really care.
For more than two years, we have filed complaint after complaint regarding antisemitic discrimination and a hostile environment targeting Jewish and Israeli students, staff, and families. The District repeatedly delayed or refused investigations and repeatedly mischaracterized and spun investigation findings in an effort to exonerate itself rather than confront the underlying problems, resulting in two lawsuits and multiple findings against the District already. Dozens of Jewish families have left the District because they no longer feel safe. Tonight's AI-generated video is a poor substitute for accountability. While the District touts compliance efforts, it has failed to take meaningful action to address antisemitism on campus. The public deserves the unfiltered CDE findings, not a sanitized narrative. Instead of public relations, the District should focus on remediating the hostile environment identified by CDE and restoring trust with the families it has failed.